It is an unfortunate fact of modern life that laptop computers and other portable devices are often stolen. The financial loss to the owner of the device must be measured in terms of the fair market value of the stolen item, as well as the value of any data or other information that was stored on the stolen device. Thus, the actual costs of such a loss can often be significant, especially when the data or information stored on the stolen device includes proprietary or non-recoverable information. Significantly, the trend in the consumer marketplace is towards ever smaller and lighter electronic devices, thereby making such devices even easier to conceal and steal.
A number of mechanical techniques have been proposed to prevent the theft of such devices. For example, a number of physical locks are commercially available that allow a user to secure a laptop or another device. Such hardware solutions, however, require the user to carry around additional hardware and increase the size and weight of the portable device. A need therefore exists for a mechanism to prevent the theft of a portable device that does not require the user to carry around additional hardware. A further need exists for a software-based mechanism to prevent theft of a portable device. Yet another need exists for a method and apparatus for preventing theft of a portable device that does not increase the size or weight of the portable device.